I want you to turn with me in your Bibles this evening to the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 4. And we're reading at verse 31, reading right down to the end of the chapter at verse 37. And we have come to our tenth study tonight. We're looking at Barnabas, the ministry of encouragement. And I want to give you five characterizations of Barnabas this evening that are there on the outline for you And we have to look at different parts of the Acts of the Apostles because Barnabas pops out here and there in the book of Acts. And so we've got to weave our way through the book of Acts tonight that we might get a full portrait, a full picture, a complete photograph of this man of God who engaged in the ministry of encouragement. We're going to see him, first of all, as a sincere man in Acts chapter 4. And then we're going to see him in Acts chapter 9 as a sympathetic man. And then in Acts chapter 11, we're going to see him as a spiritual man. And then again in Acts chapter 11, we're going to see him as a sensible man. And then finally, as the curtain falls on Barnabas' life in Acts chapter 15, as he and Paul are about to commence their second missionary journey, we're going to see Barnabas as a steadfast man. And we're reading tonight in Acts chapter 4, and we're reading at verse 31, please. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the Word of God with boldness. And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul. Neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things common. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked, for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles' feet. And distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, which is being interpreted the son of Consolation a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus having land sold it, and brought the money and led it at the apostles' feet. The renowned Prime Minister William Gladstone once said that one example is worth a thousand arguments. As we turn again to the book of Acts tonight, I trust that you have begun to realize how kind God is to us in His Word. He has different ways of getting His truth across to us. For example, in the New Testament we have history to inform us, we have doctrine to inspire us, and we have examples to instruct us. The Lord seems to say to us, through my inspired servants, I give you in the Gospels a bit of my biography. In the Epistles, I am taking you into the classroom that you might learn solid truth. But here in the Acts, I want you to walk with me through my picture gallery. I want to show you how it all works out. I want to show you that this Christian life can be lived, this great teaching of Christlikeness and adequacy and usefulness and fullness. And so tonight, to the portrait of Barnabas, we turn. As I've said, Barnabas pops in and out of the book of Acts, and we have to get around a bit in order to get a complete picture. Barnabas seems to be a big man. He seems to have been a big man physically. He seems to have been a big man in every sense of the word in the city of Lystra. When the apostle Paul healed a crippled man, we read, and when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lyconia, the gods are come down to us in the likeness of men, and they call Barnabas Jupiter. Now, Jupiter in Roman mythology is Zeus in the mythology of the Greeks. He is the God that is known as the Emperor of the Gods. Barnabas was evidently a big man. He was tall. He was manly. He was commanding. He was noble in appearance. And it was this big man with a big heart who played a vital role in the life of the early church. Now, in seeking to piece together all that we know about this big man, I want to draw your attention very simply tonight to these five characteristics. Let's begin in Acts 4. Barnabas was a sincere man. First of all, we meet with Barnabas in the early days of the church when it was in the full fire and fervor of its first love for Christ. And this man's sincerity is seen in two very simple ways. First of all, it's seen in a nature that was sacrificial. Look at what it says in verse 36 again. And Joses, or Joseph, who by the apostles was surname Barnabas, which is being interpreted the son of consolation, a Levite. Now let's pause there. Barnabas, a Levite, had estates. He had property, or as the Americans would say, he had real estate on the island of Cyprus. That in itself is of tremendous interest because the Levites in God's Old Testament economy were not supposed to own land. Keep your finger in Acts 4, and let's come back to Numbers 18 for a moment. The Levites were not supposed to own land. Look at Numbers 18. God's speaking here to Aaron. And He says, Numbers 18, Verse number 1. Numbers chapter 18 and verse number 1. And the Lord said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father's house with thee shalt bear the iniquity of the sanctuary. And thou and thy sons with thee shalt bear the iniquity of your priesthood. And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee and minister unto thee. But thou and thy sons with thee shalt minister before the tabernacle of witness. And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle, only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they nor ye also die." Verse 6, "'And I behold, I have taken your brethren, the Levites from among the children of Israel, to you they are given as a gift for the Lord to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.'" Come down to verse 20, The Lord is still speaking unto Aaron. And the Lord speak unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in the land, neither shalt thou have any part among them. I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel. And behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance. for their service which they shall serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, neither must the children of Israel henceforth deny the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they burst in and die. The Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity. It shall be a statute forever throughout their generations that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance. But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as a heave offering unto the Lord, I have given to the Levites to inherit. Therefore I have said unto them, among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance. In the Old Testament economy, the Levites were not supposed to own land. Why? Because they were the priestly tribe and they were to live on the tithes. that the people of Israel gave them. How then, when we come to Acts chapter 4, how was it possible that Barnabas had land on the island of Cyprus? Was it that with the passing of the years that this prohibition was no longer in force in New Testament times? Or was it that this law applied only in Palestine and Barnabas' land was in Cyprus? In ancient times, Cyprus was famous for its vineyards. It was famous for its wheat fields. It was famous for its oil. It was famous for its figs. It was a secular Canaan. It was a land flowing with milk and honey. And anyone who possessed land in Cyprus was rich and influential. Wherever Barnabas had this land, on the island of Cyprus, he said this, I know what I'm going to do. I've got a piece of land. It's a valuable piece of land. I can sell it easily. And it will help the church in Jerusalem who are financially pressed, who are financially stripped. So Barney sold the land. And he took the money and he laid it at the apostles' feet. Such was his lavish generosity towards Christ and His church. Now, there's a principle here that you and I need to grasp tonight. And it's this. that Barnabas had a stewardship rather than an ownership view of property. My dear friend, tonight the amount of money you have, the amount of property that you possess, the amount of land that you own, the amount of acres that you have tonight, is not the determining thing in Christian stewardship. It's your attitude towards it. Do you really believe tonight that it's yours? Or do you really believe tonight that it's God's? And that you are only a trustee? Like Barnabas, are we generous toward the Lord and generous towards His church? His sincerity is seen in that he had a nature that was sacrificial. But come again to Acts 4. Look at verse 36. He had a name that was significant. His parents called him Joses or Joseph. But those who got to know him well in Christian circles, they said, we must give this man another name. And so they nicknamed him Barnabas. Now, different translators put this differently. Some put it Barnabas, the son of consolation. Some put it Barnabas, the son of encouragement. Some put it Barnabas, the son of refreshment. Barnabas, no matter what way you look at him, he was a refreshing Christian. Others looked at Barnabas and they said, he's a refreshing believer, and so the apostles nicknamed him Barnabas the Son of Encouragement. I wonder what your name is around the church. I wonder what your name is around your church. There are all kinds of nicknames for folk around the church. There's Herman the hypocrite. He comes to church, he sings the loudest, he prays the longest, and he makes sure everyone sees him, but he curses terribly at work. He's a mockery of the name of the Lord Jesus. And then there's moaning Mervyn. It doesn't matter what the choir sings, he's always moaning. If the choir sings a slow song, he says, I wish they would sing a fast song. If the choir sings a fast song, he says to himself, that's too fast. I wish they would sing a slow song. If the preacher gets up and preaches too loud, he's moaning. If the building's too warm, he's moaning. If the building's too cold, he's moaning. Sure, our Baptist churches are filled with them moaning mervins. And then there's prideful Patricia. She's Miss Big Shot around the church. Look at me. My husband's important to this church. I'm prideful Patricia. What's your church nickname? Do you not long to be known as an encourager? Do you not long to be known as a refresher? You see, the interesting thing about this word, consolation, in verse 36, it's this. It's the word paracletus. It's the word that the Lord Jesus used when He was describing the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He talked about the Comforter who would come, the Spirit of God, the One whose call comes alongside to help. Barnabas was the encourager. He was the refresher. He was the One who was coming alongside to minister. Now we're getting to the bottom line about Barnabas. What was so great about him? He was the encourager. My dear friends, everywhere Barnabas went, he had just this genius for lifting the spirit and the mood of the people. Here in Acts chapter 4, Barnabas saw a need, and he rose to meet that need. Barnabas, he saw a burden, and he decided to lift that burden. The apostle Paul later wrote to the Galatians, he says, bear ye one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. That's what an encourager does. He lifts burdens for people. Maybe you're saying tonight, well, I don't have any land to sell. I don't have any property to part with. My dear friend, you don't need land to lift a burden. You don't need money to lift a burden. You're here tonight and you've got love, you've got time, you've got counsel, you've got wisdom that you can give. There's an elderly neighbor that you can help. There's someone within your assembly to whom you can say, Look, you've got a need. I believe I can help you. I believe I can lift that burden. That's what Barnabas did. He was the son of consolation. Let's look at the second time Barnabas is mentioned. Let's look over to Acts chapter 9. Not only was he a sincere man, he was a sympathetic man, for it was Barnabas who introduced Saul of Tarsus to the apostles. Look at Acts 9, just for a moment, and verse 23. And after many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill Paul, or Saul. But their lying await was known of Saul, and they watched the gates day and night to kill him. Then the disciples took him by night and let him down by the wall in a basket." There's a wee truth there for us, you know. They didn't have to pray about it. They just used their common sense. Paul's life was in danger. And so they let him over the wall in a basket, and they ran as fast as his legs could carry him. And in verse 26 it says, And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he has said to join himself to the disciples, but they were all afraid of him. And believe not that he was a disciple, but Barnabas took him. and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus, and he was with them coming in and going out of Jerusalem." Now, let's set this in its context. Three years had passed since Saul's conversion. Nobody had heard where he had gone. The church had heard rumors that he was saved, but he had vanished. God's people had enjoyed blessed rest from persecution, but now Saul was back. Worse still, he was back in the city of Jerusalem. Worse still, he was seeking to join the fellowship of God's people. You'll notice that Saul was rejected. Look at verse 26. And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assaid to join himself to the disciples. The Greek conveys the idea that Saul kept trying to get into their fellowship. He kept trying to get into their assembly. He kept trying to get into the church, but they wouldn't accept him. Join the church indeed. Worm out its secrets. Compile lists of its members. Saul of Tarsus was the most dangerous man of the age in Jerusalem, in the city of Jerusalem. He was the most feared. He was the most hated. He was the most friendless man of all. With the blood of so many Christians still red on his hands, it's no wonder that every door in the city of Jerusalem was bolted against Saul of Tarsus. These Christians considered him to be a sinister Sanhedrin spy. Ah, but look at what it says in verse 27, The Greek implies that Barnabas took Saul by the hand and led him among the apostles. James, the chief elder in the church at Jerusalem, wanted nothing to do with Saul. Simon, with the keys of the kingdom in his hands, wanted nothing to do with Saul. John, the beloved disciple, the apostle of love, wanted nothing to do with Saul. Andrew, who was always introducing people to Jesus Christ and had a rare gift for seeking those who needed to know the Savior, wanted nothing to do with Saul. Thomas, unless he could have tangible proofs of Saul's conversion, wanted nothing to do with Saul. But big-hearted Barnabas took him and brought him unto the apostles and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way. He opened his door to Saul. He took him in. He sat him down. He sat him down at his table. He listened to his story and he believed Saul. My friends, we can picture Barnabas taking him round to Peter's place, Galatians 2, and saying, Peter, Peter, I want you to meet brother Saul. And Peter became so convinced of Paul's conversion, he realized that it was authentic, that it was genuine, that he entertained Saul in his home for two whole weeks. Peter says, Amen, he's alright. You can come out from hiding. He's the real thing. You see, Barnabas realized that here was a man who needed a friend. And Barnabas went out and became a friend to a very lonely disciple. There are lots of new Christians in Ulster tonight. Some of them in Lurgan. Some of them in your locality. And they need someone to befriend them. Do you know what the new convert needs? Do you know what the new Christian needs? If anyone needs encouragement, it's a brand new believer. So often they find it difficult to break into our churches, especially if they come from a different background, if they have a different culture, if they don't have the same background. And some of them are saying, oh, I would love to be part of that church. I would love to go up with them to the Bible class. I would love to go with them to the place of prayer. But how can I break in? Oh, that God would give us some Barnabases in this church who will reach out and bring them in. What a terrible indictment it is to any local assembly if genuine people have left us because they could not fit in. John Stossel on ABC American Television did a program. And in that program he talked about little babies who needed psychoanalysis therapy. Little babies who weren't twelve months of age, whose minds had been warped. These little ones were psychologically harmed. They were living in homes where there was no eye contact, there was no laughter, there was no physical contact, there was no cuddling, there was no kissing. And these little babies who had been derived of all these natural things were warped. And then this is what the program went on to say. It is impossible to spoil a baby the first year of his life. It is impossible to spoil a baby the first year of his life. And those babies who receive that cuddling, that kissing, that loving the first year of their life, grow up to be well-adjusted, balanced individuals who have love to give and demand less than other babies who didn't receive it. You know, my friends, tonight that's not only true in the physical realm. I want to tell you that's true in the spiritual realm. The most important year of a Christian is that first year when they come to know the Savior, when they are babes in Christ. when they're just seeking to feed on the milk of the Word of God, when they are babes in Christ, when they are seeking to become more mature, when they're seeking to develop, when they're seeking to progress. And this church and your church needs Barnabases who find a friend and befriend them and bring them into the fellowship. Barnabas was a sympathetic man. Acts 4, Acts 9. Let's overlook Acts chapter 11. The Acts of the Apostles chapter 11. The Acts of the Apostles chapter 11. And look at verse 19. Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phinehas in Cyprus, and Antioch preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only. And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, speak unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them. The great number believed and turned unto the Lord. Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church, which was in Jerusalem. And they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch, who, when he came, it seemed, the grace of God was glad. and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord, for He was a good man and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith. And much people were added to the Lord." Now, I want you to see that the scene is shifting. It's shifting geographically from the city of Jerusalem to the city of Antioch. Now, Antioch was wealthy. It was a very wealthy city. It was a very magnificent city. It was the third greatest city of the world of that day after Rome and Alexandria. It was the home of a Roman prefect and his court. It was a thoroughly Greek colony. It was a thoroughly Greek city, but it also got a Jewish colony. There were Jews in the city of Antioch. It was a center of idolatry. Here in the world famous grove of Daphne, heathenism flaunted itself in its most alluring and filthy forms. And here at Antioch, quite apart from the official dome of Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit began a new work. Here in sinful, sensual, sumptuous Antioch, there was a work of evangelism that was begun by the Spirit of God among the Gentiles. Now, I want you to see this work. This work had no apostolic authority. This work had no apostolic initiative. But the preaching of the gospel was an instant success and large numbers of Greeks were saved. Look at what it says, verse 21, "...and the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned unto the Lord." A reproach of what was happening up in Antioch filtered down to Jerusalem. The apostles said, look, a lot of Greeks are getting saved up there in Antioch. We don't know whether this is true fire or wildfire. We don't know whether this is false or true. We don't know whether this is of God or of Satan. We don't know whether this is of man or of the Holy Spirit. The apostles hadn't initiated it. They hadn't started it. They hadn't approved it. They were wondering, should we approve it? Should we put the stamp of authenticity upon it? We'd better send someone up to Antioch to investigate and to find out exactly what is happening in this new and startling development. And my dear friends, guess who they send? Barnabas. You see, it was a wise choice. Because Cypriots and Cyrenians were spearheading the work in Antioch, and Barnabas was a Cypriot Jew. He was a spiritual man. You say, why? Well, he recognizes the grace of God. Look at verse 23, "...who when he came and had seen the grace of God and was glad." I want to tell you, he could have seen the situation in a different light. You see, these people up in Antioch, they were new. They hadn't come from the background of Judaism. They were untaught. They were untaught Christians. And they were still carrying the mire of Antioch with them. Some of them had a long way to go. Some of them had miles to go in their language, in their relationships, in their ethics. But Barnabas looked on and he saw the grace of God. Alexander McLaren says this, it was a triumph of Christian principle to recognize the grace of God in new forms in such a strange place. It was a greater triumph to heal it with rejoicing. Barnabas didn't say, well, we need a manual of theology at this time so that these believers can be systematically trained in sound doctrine. Barnabas didn't say, well, there's too much emotionalism in this work. This work needs a stronger emphasis on the moral side of the Christian faith, especially in such a vile place as Antioch. No, he just looks on and, my dear friends, he recognizes the grace of God. That's something that I need to do. That's something, my dear friend, that you need to do. Especially in places where they don't do everything like the way we do it. Especially in places where they don't dot our I's and cross our T's. I think sometimes we're so parochial in our outlook and we think that God's blessing and God's favor and God's grace is tied to the Baptist. Or to the brethren? Or to the free Presbyterians? Do you know something, my dear friends? God blesses people whom you disagree with. Barnabas comes up to Antioch and he recognizes the grace of God. Ah, but he does something else. He not only recognizes the grace of God, look at verse 23, He refreshes the people of God. Of course He is the refresher, isn't He? He's the encourager. Look at verse 23, "...who, when they had come, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. That is, He encouraged them all to cleave to the Lord, to remain true to God with all of their heart. If you turn over to chapter 13, Paul and Barnabas did something like this again. Look at chapter 13 for a moment. It says this, chapter 13, and we're reading in verse 43, Here's what Paul and Barnabas did again. Now, when the congregation was broken up, they're still on their missionary travels. Many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. Come over to chapter 14. Look at verse 22 for a moment. Verse 21 or verse Verse 19, rather, just to get the connection. And there came hither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium who persuaded the people, and having stolen Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead. Some scholars believe that this is where Paul was taken up to the third heaven. Albeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up and came into the city, and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. And when they had preached the gospel to that city and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch. They believed in follow-up, confirming the souls of the disciples and exhorting them to continue in the faith. and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God, continuing in the grace of God, continuing in the faith. You see, the only way to remain true to the Lord is to remain true, is to continue in His Word where He reveals Himself to His people. You see what Barnabas did? He saw God's grace. He rejoined. And then he tenderly encouraged the people of God. Now you say, how was he able to do this? Well, if you come back to Acts 11, Luke says this. Verse 24, he gives us a description of this man of God. He says he was a good man and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith. He was a good man and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith. You see the refreshing water of the Spirit of God flowed from Barnabas' inner being. Can you think of anyone like that tonight? Are you like that? Have you discovered that some Christians, when they come around you, talk with you, they depress you? And when they're gone, you say to yourself, well, thank goodness for that. They're always fault-finding. They're always critical. They're always hard. They're always gloomy. And then there are others. And you're not in their company five minutes till a shot of sunshine has permeated your whole being. Your hopes have been down and they've lifted you up. Your courage is gone and they've put fresh impetus and fresh heart into you. This was Barnabas. Forever the one to encourage. Forever the one to refresh. Forever the one to fortify. Forever the one to strengthen. Is that you tonight? Do you know what it is to recognize the grace of God? Do you know what it is to encourage those who are young in the faith? Do you know what it is to possess the gifts of helps and utilize it? What a man Barnabas was! He was a sincere man. He was a sympathetic man. He was a spiritual man. Ah, but look at Acts chapter 11 again. He was a sensible man. Look at verse 25. Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus for the six all. And when he had found them, he brought them unto Antioch. that came to pass that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church and taught much people, and the disciples were called Christians first. In Antioch, do you see what he does? He recognizes his limitations. You know, Barnabas has got a situation on his hand, and on the one hand, it awes him, and on the other hand, it thrills him. And so he says to himself, you know, this job is too big for me. I'm willing to put in my oar and do what I can, but I need help. And I know a man who has got what it takes for this situation in Antioch. I'm going to Tarsus to get Paul." Perhaps Barnabas was awake one night, burdened, tired, exploring his options. In the last three days, he had led ten Bible studies. He had conducted five baptisms. He had preached the gospel countless times. And he said to himself, I need help. I can't keep this up. Verse 25, Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus for to seek Saul. Now listen to me tonight. A smaller man wouldn't have done that. A meaner man wouldn't have done that. Have you ever met preachers who have said to themselves, well, I'm going to be the big duck in the puddle and I'm going to have this all to myself? Have you ever met pastors who have said that? Because some of them do. I'm going to be the big duck in the puddle and I'm going to have all this to myself. And they rarely share the pulpit with anyone else but not Barnabas. Here was a man who was willing to take Saul of Tarsus He wanted to take a man who was a first-class scholar, who was steeped in the Old Testament Scriptures, who was well-read in philosophy, and above all, was a devoted disciple of the Lord Jesus. And my dear friends, Barnabas knew that by bringing in Saul of Tarsus to Antioch, he was bringing in a bigger man than he was. Bigger in talent and genius. Bigger in his grasp of the truth. Bigger in vision and boldness of action. But as Alexander White said, to have the heart to discover a more talented man than yourself and to have the heart to go to Tarsus for him and to make way for him in Antioch is far better than to have all Saul's talents to yourself. Speaking for myself, said the Scottish fiery preacher, I would rather have a little of Barnabas's grease than all of Saul's genius. Or, to quote Spurgeon's unforgettable verse, It takes more grace than I can tell to play the second fiddle well. See, some fellows don't want to play the second fiddle. They want to be the big man in the puppet. I was telling the Muppin Cook last night when Spurgeon came to London, the crowds immediately began to flock to hear him. They couldn't get a building in London that was big enough to contain the crowds that wanted to hear Charles Haddon Spurgeon. And there was an older man in the city who was a famous preacher also. And you know, when Spurgeon arrived on the scene and the crowds began to flock to hear Spurgeon, jealousy began to enter into his heart. And that jealousy began to eat him up. It was like a cancer in his soul as the crowds went to hear the young preacher, until one day he got down upon his knees and he confessed his jealousy before the Lord. And from that moment onward, he looked upon every victory that Spurgeon achieved as his own victory. He said, My heart was filled with praise and with worship at what God was doing through St. Spurgeon. There is such a thing, you know, as ministerial jealousy. I want to tell you tonight that any brother who is faithful to the Book of Blood and the Blessed Hope is welcome in this pulpit. They can have it any time. But some fellows are not willing to play the second fiddle. My dear friends, Is it not rare to find an older man held high in the opinions of his brethren who will allow himself to be eclipsed by a younger man? But that was Barnabas. sensible enough to recognize his limitations. Ah, but look at it again. Verse 25, sensible enough to utilize his resources. The word seek in verse 25, Bible scholars tell me, suggests a laborious search on Barnabas' part. He came to the city of Tarsus and he really didn't know where to find Saul. He went to hunt him up. Keep in mind that Saul has been converted about ten years now. Barnabas wants to bring them back to Antioch. And for a year they worked together to enlarge the church, to encourage the disciples to evangelize the city. You see, what did Barnabas do? He enlisted and encouraged others in the service of the Lord. You know, in every church, my dear friends, there are folk like Saul of Tarsus. There are. People who need to be found, people who need to be encouraged, people who need to be fostered, people who need to be developed, sure they've got ability, sure they've got talent, sure they've got gift, but it takes a Barnabas to find them and to foster them. I thank God for those who encouraged me when I started out to preach the Gospel first, and some of them are in this very Bible class this evening. But I wonder, do you know someone who could and should be promoted to a place of greater usefulness, but right tonight they stand in need of your friendship? How about someone who is better qualified than you are? Are you ready to stand to the side and play the second fiddle? I heard about a 16-year-old boy who dropped out of school because his teacher told him that he was mentally deficient. He couldn't learn anymore. They told him that the best thing that he could do was to get manual labor. And so, from the age of 16 until the age of 32, he had 67 jobs. And 67 times he failed. And they said, he's just too dumb. And then someone looked at him one day and said, that boy's different. He's got talent. He's got latent ability. I believe we ought to give him a test. I believe we ought to give him an IQ test. You know what his IQ was? 161. He was a genius. And they said, son, you're brilliant. He began to study. At 32 years of age, he's a dunce. At 33 years of age, he's a genius. Do you know what he's doing now? He's a scientist working with laser technology with a respected position and a tremendous salary. All because someone looked at him one day and said, there's something in that boy. Let's get it out of that boy! My dear friends, it's just the same in the spiritual realm. Are there not those who could teach? and preach and sing and do all kinds of things. You see, the encourager is not necessarily the man who does it all himself. But God give us some Barnabas as someone who will say, there's a felony in Saul down there, Saul. Here's a job that you can do. I can see it in you. Are you beginning to see why they called him The Son of Consolation. Barnabas. In chapter 15, the curtain comes down on Barnabas' life. Have a look at it. It's an interesting chapter. It's a chapter that begins with dissension. And it's a chapter that ends with dissension. You remember at the beginning of the chapter, some wanted to add what Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones called a damnable plus to the gospel, circumcision. And so the chapter begins with dissension, and then the chapter ends with dissension. Missionary journey number two is about to begin, verse 36. And some days after, Paul said unto Barnabas, let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the Word of the Lord and see how they do. And Barnabas determined to take with him John, whose surname was Mark. But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work. And the contention, and that word contention is really strong. The contention was so sharp between them that they departed asunder one from the other. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed on to Cyprus. And Paul chose Silas and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God. And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches. The unthinkable has happened. Paul and Barnabas have disagreed. You know, sometimes good Christians intensely disagree. Sometimes men and women of God intensely disagree. I'm sure that at that moment there were No two unhappier brothers in the city of Antioch than Paul and Barnabas. The Greek word translated, contention, here is a very strong word. It indicates that this was not a small agreement. Its thunder is reverberating around the church. You say, what was the problem? John Marr. John Marr. Barnabas wanted to take his young relative with him, but Paul adamantly refused to consider this option. The problem Paul saw with Mark was this. He had failed the first time. He would fail again. The ministry was too important. The work was too demanding to enlist someone who might prove unreliable. Look at verse 38. But Paul thought not good to take him with them. who departed from them from Pamphylia and went not with them to the work. Come over to chapter 13 for a moment. Do you see Mark leaving Paul and Barnabas? Acts 13, verse 13, Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia, and John, John Mark, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem. Why did he leave them in Pamphylia? Was it simply to do with the realities of missionary work, its conflicts, its trials, its hardship? Was it because he was sick? Was it because he was homesick? Some scholars think it was because he was mommy's boy. and that he had a pampered upbringing, sheltered. He wasn't exposed to the hardships in life. In East Belfast, they would say he wasn't streetwise. And so, the problem Paul saw was that Mark had given up the first time, he would give up again. But Barnabas saw it differently. Come back to chapter 15 again. He saw it differently. It says that Barnabas took Mark and sealed on to Cyprus. You can imagine the sharp contention. Paul, he can. He will succeed with encouragement. We're not keeping Mark, Barnabas. He's a failure. He's a quitter. But Paul, there's some good in that boy. Let's give him another chance. Let's give him another opportunity. You say, who was right? Well, in so many quarrels, both men were right and both were wrong. Our judgment goes with Paul. Our hearts go with Barnabas. Paul looked at Christians and said, what can they do for God's work? Barnabas looked at Christians and said, what can God's work do for them? We all know the outcome. Paul and Silas go their way. Barnabas and Mark go their way. But my friends, it's Barnabas that takes the quitter. It's Barnabas that takes the failure. It's Barnabas that takes the coward. It's Barnabas that reaches down and pulls John Mark up and puts his arm around him and says, John Mark, you've got good stuff in you. You can do it. You know something? It was John Mark who wrote the gospel of Mark. Probably the first gospel that was written. It was John Mark who wrote the gospel of Mark. It was this same man of whom we read in 2 Timothy chapter 4 when Paul is in the Maritime prison in Rome and he's about to be executed and he's talking to Timothy and he says, Timothy, come before winter and when you come, bring the books, bring the cloak, bring the parchments. And you remember that he says to Timothy in that dark, dank, dirty prison, only Luke is with me. Take Mark and bring him with me, for he is profitable to me for the ministry. Think of it. The one man in all the world that the Apostle Paul wanted on the eve of his execution was Mark, John Mark. But aren't you glad that there was someone who found a failure and fixed him and salvaged him? I'm here to tell you tonight in the Christian church, there are the failures. Don't you look down your nose at them. There are the Lots. There are the Samsons. There are the John Marths. I wonder, are you big enough to extend a hand of encouragement to them. What a man Barnabas was! A young boy of five years of age lost his daddy. The same boy dropped out of school when he was sixteen. He had lost two jobs when he was seventeen. When he was eighteen, he got married by nineteen. He had a baby by twenty. His wife and him were separated. And from that time on, he tried to make a living. He was in the army. He was on the railroad. He was in farming. He was in insurance. Finally, he became a dishwasher. There was nothing else that he could do. He persuaded his wife to come back and live with him. And together they ran a little cafe. They cooked and washed. They cooked and washed. And when he came to 65 years of age, he got his first Social Security check for 105 American dollars. And on that day the check came to him. He was so discouraged. He looked at it and it disheartened him. He said, I've been a failure all of my life. And now in the eventide of my life, the government is going to have to take care of me. He decided to commit suicide. He went out into the backyard and he began to write out his will. And then he said, why should I be such a failure? Isn't there anything that I can do? Isn't there something that I can do better than others? And then he said to himself, yes, there's one thing that I can do better than others, and that's cook. And as he sat there in the backyard, an idea began to formulate in his mind. He went to the local bank and he borrowed $87 against his next Social Security check. He went down to the supermarket and he bought some chicken and he began to fry it in the only way that he could fry it. And he went from door to door in Kerbin, Kentucky, selling the chicken. Have you guessed it? Colonel Harlan Sanders. Kentucky fried chicken, finger-licking good, at 65 years of failure, ready to commit suicide, now known the world over. And after some time, a little boy came up to him one day and said to him, Sir, how much money do you have? He said, Son, I don't know, but I can tell you this, if I want it, I can have it. I'm not interested in selling chicken tonight. The point is that this man was not a failure when he decided he was not. I wonder tonight, am I speaking to someone, have you decided that you're a failure? What you probably need tonight is a Barnabas to tell you that you're not. Thank God for Barnabas, a man who found John Moore. A man that Paul did not want anything to do with. And he said, come on, son, we love you and the Lord. We are going to give you another chance. Barnabas, the ministry of encouragement. He was truly a Christian gentleman. What made him so? Dr. Luke says he was a good man. And he was full of the Holy Ghost and of faith. My friends, the Barnabas fraternity is in desperate need of encouragement. Will you join? Will you say, Lord, make me a Barnabas? Help me to be an encourager. Let's pray.